Category: Skills and Competencies

Organizational psychologist Chris Argyris, a Harvard professor, uses what he calls the “Ladder of Inference” to explain how we take actions based upon beliefs–and how our beliefs, in turn, lead us to select observational data.

Chances are you won’t have to wring that neck either, since that person will know it is his responsibility to ensure the action is completed on time and well. If he encounters problems along the way, he will be more likely to address them immediately than wait until the reporting date. When its their neck on the line, people tend to take the right and necessary actions.

Suit-able Leadership Your wife says your wardrobe is handicapping you professionally. You respond by finding a wardrobe consultant. He eyes your wide-lapel suit and room-for-two pleated pants and says, “Listen, Italian would be perfect!” What does that mean? It means he loves Italian. But do you–or could you? If you prefer to wear socks […]

The right word may be effective, but no word is ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.– Mark Twain Pausing is undervalued and underutilized by leaders. There’s a tendency when someone asks us a question to enter a “me” mindset. “Now it’s my turn,” our brains tend to think. As a result, we […]

“My fascination with letting images repeat and repeat–or in film’s case ‘run on’–manifests my belief that we spend much of our lives seeing without observing.” - Andy Warhol Say it 7 times to make it so. There is a reason this became an adage. It works. It works so well that […]

How to conduct a meeting is accomplished by a small amount of deliberate practice and training and will save significant costs to the business. Businesses are spending billions on meetings and do little to improve them. In this post you will begin your exploration of effective meeting strategies.

Today I met with a wonderfully interesting and experienced consultant, Tom Siders from L. Harris Partners, who was part of the management team that grew McGladrey from sub $400 million to over $1.3 billion in revenues. According to Tom, clients want the three A’s: Availability Affability Ability Availability Availability is a bit more complicated that […]

A Business Book Bonanza of Minnesota Based Authors In January, the Business Book Breakfast began— and groups of 25-50 exciting, high energy, curious and fun people have gathered at 6:45 AM the 4th Wednesday of every month, to share thoughts and ideas about five very amazing books. It was decided to make this more relaxing […]

How do you frame your work so that your audience–team members, customers, service providers–doesn’t miss valuable content? How do you make the most important information the most visible and aesthetically pleasing? How can you avoid having to re-frame an argument later?

The Power of the ASK We have covered a lot of ground regarding your network (see Related Links below). Now we need to put the power of your network into action. Ask. Asking seems simple, and it is, but not if you get preoccupied with concerns about your image. Do you find your mind filling […]

How to Prepare for a Meeting The first seven steps to prepare for a meeting are: 1. Set a clear and achievable goal for the meeting How to Prepare for a Meeting: Steps #1 & 2 that is in line with the organization’s vision and mission 2. Choose the appropriate type of meeting: decision-making, informational, […]

The first four steps of how to prepare for a meeting are: 1. Set a clear and achievable goal for the meeting that is in line with the organization’s vision and mission [How to Prepare for a Meeting: Steps #1 & 2] 2. Choose the appropriate type of meeting: decision-making, informational, motivational, or creative [How […]

How to Prepare for a Meeting The first three steps of meeting preparation are: 1. Set a clear and achievable goal for the meeting How to Prepare for a Meeting: Steps #1 & 2 that is in line with the organization’s vision and mission 2. Choose the appropriate type of meeting: decision-making, informational, motivational, or creative […]